THE DUNEDIN ABSTAINERS’ UNION.

Evening Star, Issue 2895, 30 May 1872, Page 3

THE DUNEDIN ABSTAINERS’ UNION.

A lecture in connection with this Society, on “Total. Abstinence tested ; or, what saitli the Scripture ? ” was delivered last evening, at the Oddfellows’ Hall, by the Rev. Thos. Roseby, M.A, Mr T. Hughes presided. The attendance was good. The lecturer reviewed the chief objections to the total abstinence principle, on the alleged ground ground of its antagonism to Scripture. He combated the current objection to it as tending to disparage or displace the Gospel; the objection to the temperance pledge ; the objection to total abstainers, as a refusal of “good creatures of God” ; and, finally, the objection that total abstinence sots up a standard at variance with the practice of Christ and his apostles. The philological question as to the words used for wine in the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures was briefly handled ; and the bearing of this part of the lecturer’s argument on several New Testament passages shown. The lecturer then urged that, after all, the controversy concerning the notion of Christ and His Apostles was of less importance than the question as to what His and their action would probably have been now, in the face of the terrible evil which intemperance has wrought. And, in conclusion, be argued that, while no distinct passages of Scriptures could be pointed out in which the use of alcoholic liquor was forbidden (such express prohibitions not being in harmony with the eepius of the Gospel), yet the spirit of the New Testament teaching discouraged such use. The doctrine of Christian expediency, one of the aspects of the great law of love, was urged as conveying such a lesson. A vote of thanks was accorded to the lecturer at the close of his address.